Southport to get minor injuries service to children back

Feb 12 2008 by Ben Schofield, Liverpool Daily Post

HEALTH chiefs in Sefton yesterday admitted that Southport’s children have inadequate health care.

They vowed to plough more than £100,000 into the town to improve facilities, and will look into how to invest that money over the next six months.

But there is concern that it won’t be enough.

Managers at Sefton PCT met campaigners and other stakeholders at the Ainsdale clinic yesterday. They say between 600 and 700 children from Southport and Formby have to travel to Ormskirk Hospital accident and emergency each month.

Sefton PCT’s chief executive Leigh Griffin said most of those prob-ably do not need A&E care, and could be treated at home, add-ng: “We have accepted in terms of children’s health needs that more can be done at Southport with minor injuries and the like.”

Southport and Formby parents who need to get children to a doctor have to travel into West Lancashire since Southport’s accident and emergency unit closed five years ago.

Mr Griffin said he was not planning to reopen that unit but wanted to provide more for children.

His staff are working on ideas for how the £100,000 can be best spent and he hopes whichever is chosen it will be operating within 12 months.

He added: “This is not a case for reopening the A&E unit – it wouldn’t be safe or appropriate – but it’s about what can be done between primary care and A&E.”

Sefton Conservative councillor Brenda Porter said it shouldn’t have taken so long for health managers to admit more needed to be done.

She said: “We need to be provided with a children’s unit with X-ray – just a local minor injuries unit would not be enough – it needs to be a minor injuries and illness unit.”

Mr Griffin said the PCT is now going to look into what will be the most clinically appropriate, safe and best value for money option.

benschofield